Assam Govt Files Affidavit to Start Campaign of Testing Excessive Pesticide in Vegetables

GUWAHATI: A testing programme to identify overuse of pesticides in vegetables and other farm products would be done statewide starting on June 5, the Assam government notified the Gauhati High Court on Tuesday.

Assam government informed the high court in an affidavit that it had transported 200 testing kits from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in order to conduct tests.

On the other hand, before imported veggies entered the market and were made available to city citizens, various offices, including horticulture, legal sciences, and health, were coordinated to take the necessary precautions.

According to reports,earlier the Gauhati High Court ordered the authorities to deliver a thorough report on this by March 3.

Moreover, the petitioners who had brought the problem to light received a special directive from the court. If they learn any new information about the case, the court stated they will be able to report it to the police.

It should be recalled that the Gauhati High Court stated in April of this year that Assam lacked a method for prompt detection of pesticide presence in vegetables and other farm products.

When the high court made the statement, it was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the use of pesticides in vegetables that eventually enter the food loop.

The senior Assam official from the health and family welfare department was present as the court took the matter up for hearing in accordance with the court's request. Meanwhile, it was revealed that the Assam government was in discussions with BARC to import tools that would aid in testing farm products for chemical presence.

However, on the basis of a petition submitted by Attorney Seema Bhuyan, the high court approved a series of regulations pertaining to the use of pesticides in vegetables.

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